The present invention is directed to a core processing device and more particularly, a core processing device used for golf course maintenance and commercial lawn care.
To facilitate turf growth, aerator machines are used to relieve turf compaction and thatch build up. The machines aerate the turf by punching holes in the turf, which create sod plugs, also known as sod cores. The sod cores are generally cylindrical and comprise a layer of grass, a tightly woven layer of thatch, and a layer of roots and soil including rocks, sand, and clay. The thatch layer, which includes both living and dead matter, grows in an outwardly expanding layer above the soil, which significantly deters growth thus necessitating removal. In contrast, the soil and root layer is often composed of valuable topsoil or sand, which is removed from the turf, and it is desirable to recycle the dirt back into the turf.
Traditionally, the sod cores are either left in place to deteriorate naturally, collected by either manual or powered sweeping, or broken apart either by dragging a metal mat over the sod cores or shattering them with a flail style mower. Each of these methods have undesirable attributes. When cores are left in place to deteriorate naturally, they are both unsightly and, when used to facilitate turf growth on a golf course, interfere with play. When cores are collected by either manual or powered sweeping, there are other drawbacks. Manual sweeping requires additional manpower, time, and expense, while both means of sweeping do not separate the soil from the thatch to allow recycling of the soil back into the turf. Dragging can break the cores apart allowing soil to be returned to the core holes, but continues to be a process that is time consuming in that it requires multiple passes to breakup the cores and also causes scuffing, tearing and additional damage to the turf such as compaction. Finally, flail mowers, while breaking the cores up tend to severely scalp or destroy the turf all together in mounded or un-level sections of the ground.
Therefore, the principal object of this invention is to provide a core processor that can shatter cores while minimizing or eliminating damage to the turf.
A further object of this invention is to provide a core processor that takes less time to shatter or recycle the cores after the aerification process.
The core processor of this invention has a housing with a forward and rearward end, opposite sidewalls, a top and an open bottom. Operatively connected to the sidewalls of the housing are wheels for transporting and operating the core processor. A rotatable brush member extends longitudinally through the sidewalls of the housing and is positioned to engage the ground through the open bottom for picking up and transporting cores. A rotatable shredding member also extends longitudinally through the sidewalls of the housing and is positioned to receive cores thrown by the brush member on a surface of the shredding member to shatter the cores and deposit the shattered cores on the ground through the open bottom. The brush member and shredding member are drivingly connected to a power means for rotating the brush member and the shredding member. In operation, the brush member picks up cores from the ground, transports the cores into the housing, and throws the cores onto the shredding member where the cores are shattered and deposited on the ground.